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July 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Will Google+ make board meetings more efficient?

Will Google+ make board meetings more efficient?

Google+ is the newest shiny social network on the block and a lot of people are enjoying the functionality offered by this network. One of the most interesting features of Google+ is the video conferencing feature, called “hangouts.”

Hangouts allow up to 10 people to conduct a video conference at no charge as long as they have high-speed Internet and good quality microphones and webcams. I included a demo of hangouts in my post on video conferencing options.

I think this could be very useful to association boards that are often made up of individuals who are in different geographic locations. Additionally, volunteer boards are often short on funds which can limit the number of face to face meetings they can have. This means that conference calls are often used to communicate between meetings but lots of people on a conference call can sometimes get unwieldy.

Video conferencing can make meetings more personal and can help the conversation flow a bit more naturally than it does on a conference call with audio only. Google+ hangouts work remarkably well and have the added benefit of using VoIP, which eliminates the need for toll-free call-in numbers or burning cell phone minutes.

I serve on more than one association board and I’ve suggested to one that we try video conferencing next time. I would love to hear if any other boards are using video conferencing either with Google+ or other systems. If you are moving to video conferencing, please share your experience below!

Filed Under: Productivity, Technology Tagged With: , , ,
July 12, 2011 By 4 Comments

Prioritizing social networking with your DISC profile

Prioritizing social networking with your DISC profile

With four major social networks now competing for your attention, it can sometimes be overwhelming trying to keep up. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google Plus all have shiny appeal and are full of people just dying to network with you. But what if you only have so much time? How do you prioritize while still getting value out of social media, both personally and professionally?

My friend, you need to dust off your DISC profile.

If you are familiar with DISC and have taken it once or twice, you are probably already nodding and seeing a light bulb start to glow above your head. If not, be sure to do some reading on it. DISC is a personality assessment that uses four different classifications to identify how you behave and function. You can find plenty of places to take the DISC online. The types are:

  • Dominance: relating to control, power and assertiveness
  • Influence: relating to social situations and communication
  • Steadiness: relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness
  • Conscientiousness: relating to structure and organization

Upon taking the assessment, you will be given a report that includes a chart explaining where you fall in the DISC personality types. For example, I am both a very high “D” and a very high “I”. My “C” is third and my “S” is last. This means I am very action-oriented, outgoing, and somewhat process-driven.

So how does this relate to your social media activity? Well, I believe that people are most successful when their activities are aligned with their energy and interests. If this is true, then why not use your DISC profile to help you decide which social network will be the most effective for you? Let’s take a look at each type and which social network is the best match.

D – Your network is Twitter.

Twitter is fast-paced, concise, and to the point. As a “D”, you have a bias toward efficiency, action, and speed. People who ramble and take forever to get to the point exasperate you. You’re in luck because those people don’t survive on Twitter. Since this network is fast-paced, limited to 140 characters per post, and full of rapid exchanges of information, you’ll feel right at home on Twitter.

I – Your network is Facebook.

As an “I”, you are the life of the party, you love to talk to people, and you like to have fun. Facebook is the place for you. Here you’ll find photos of parties, cats, and other people. Additionally, you’ll find lots of photos of you, which appeals to your slightly narcissistic (but well-meaning) desire to be noticed. People tend to be the most casual and “fun” on Facebook. Let’s face it, as an “I” you like people and you like having fun and being a little silly. Facebook encourages all of this.

S – Your network is Google Plus.

As an “S” you crave tight personal relationships and security. Google Plus offers both since it is built on a system of “circles” that allow you to easily group people into sub-networks that are private and exclusive. You can easily keep your conversations within certain circles and avoid broadcasting your messages to everyone at once. Additionally, the clean and simple user interface of Google Plus appeals to your aversion to over-stimulation and clutter. Google Plus will be a peaceful place for you.

C – Your network is LinkedIn.

As a high “C” you crave order, rules, and systems. You’re in luck because LinkedIn is built around all three. First of all, LinkedIn is all business so it appeals to your desire to keep your personal and professional lives separate and your personal life private. It is based on strict rules of conduct and communication that encourages people to only make connections based on a prior meeting or a specific reason outlined in the rules. It is designed to make networking systematic, structured, and safe. As the most process-driven and professional social network, LinkedIn will be a zen-like oasis for your high “C” desire for structure.

My favorite social network is Twitter, and as you can see it lines up very well with my high “D” personality. I like fast-paced, efficient communication so Twitter is the place for me. I like all four major networks and Facebook and LinkedIn both appeal to my “I” and “C”, but I find myself gravitating most often to Twitter when I default to my most comfortable medium.

So if you’re wondering how you might prioritize your time on social media, try comparing your activity to your DISC profile and embrace the network that appeals to your style the most. You might end up enjoying social media even more.

Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go see what I’ve missed on Twitter in the last hour.

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Marketing, Productivity, Technology Tagged With: , ,
July 10, 2011 By 2 Comments

Google Plus will revolutionize video conferencing

I’ve been using Google Plus (referred after this as Google+) for a little while now and so far I’m really enjoying it. If you are not familiar with it yet, you may want to check out my Introduction to Google Plus video for a basic overview.

Others have written some good stuff about it, including Chris Brogan, so I encourage you to check those sources out. I am finding Google+ to be similar to other social networks in some ways, but with a much better user interface. I like the lack of clutter and I like the way information is displayed. I also find the “circles” concept to be very useful.

However one feature of Google+ really stand out to me and that is Hangouts. A Hangout is a video conference that you start within Google+ that can be shared with everyone, specific circles, or specific people. It’s similar to Skype but with a few key differences.

1. It’s dead simple to use. Starting a video conference is as easy as clicking “Start a hangout” and everything is run within the browser. There is no software to download and install on your computer (except perhaps a quick browser plugin) so everything works seamlessly within the web browser.

2. It’s free. Group video conferencing on Skype is a paid service and while it works well, not everyone wants to pay for this feature. Google+ offers a free alternative.

3. It’s smooth. By smooth, I mean both the technology and the user interface. Video and audio quality are both excellent and I noticed very little delay or choppiness. Conversations happen very naturally and it’s as close to being in the same room as I’ve seen when video conferencing. The user interface is also very cool in that it moves whoever is talking to the primary window. That is a nice effect that helps the conversation flow more naturally.

Individually, these features are not earth-shattering. However, Google has really gotten this right, and the way the whole system works together makes it very easy for just about anyone to enjoy high-quality video conferencing.

When combined with Google+ circles, video Hangouts have potential to truly bring group video conferencing to the masses. The tight integration, the ease of starting conferences within your circles, and the great user interface are very impressive.

What has your experience been with Google+? I would love to hear your thoughts below.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
April 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Money, time, or magic?

I talk to a lot of business owners who are looking for ways to grow their businesses. It seems that everybody wants to be more successful and is eager for advice on how to do it.

However, I’m surprised at how many of these business owners are looking for magic.

Magic can come in many forms. How about a Facebook fan page? That will bring lots of new customers, right? How about showing up at the occasional networking meeting and exchanging a few business cards? This will lead to lots of great prospects, right? Maybe launching a great new website will do the trick… people will come buy things, right?

I personally don’t put much faith in magic. I prefer to invest either money or time.

When people do one small thing (usually something trendy and related to technology) and expect it to grow their businesses overnight with minimal effort, they are investing in magic. A beautiful new website is a great investment, but it takes time and/or money to make it effective and bring traffic to it. Social media may be a good fit for your business but it typically takes an investment of time to make it really effective.

Some examples of investing money to grow your business:

  • Paying a qualified SEO firm to run a search marketing campaign for you
  • Hiring a ghost blogger to write quality content that grows your tribe and SEO visibility
  • Paying a star employee to run your marketing
  • Paying a qualified website design firm to create a website that encourages conversions and sales

Some examples of investing time include:

  • Scheduling time to consistently post optimized blogs to your website
  • Maintaining a regular, strategic presence on social media with specific goals in mind
  • Investing time into your network by consistently giving quality referrals to others
  • Writing educational articles for your email newsletter and sticking to a schedule

It takes either money or time to grow your business. Sometimes it takes both. Those who are looking for magic may end up disappointed.

Where are you making your investment?

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
November 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Website load time may affect your Google rankings

I noticed an interesting article today on The Marketing Technology Blog about Google and its plans to account for website load times in its ranking system. The article was written by Doug Karr, who I respect a great deal and makes some good points. All opinion aside, however, this policy from Google is significant to businesses since it can impact how easily their websites are found.

Website load time is always an important factor to improve when creating websites, but as it becomes even more important, I’d like to touch on two things that play a huge part in ensuring your website is not penalized.

One factor is your hosting platform. As Doug points out in his article, if your website is hosted on a bargain basement hosting plan, it may get penalized by Google because of slower load times. I have always been in favor of high-quality enterprise hosting for business websites for a number of reasons but this only adds to the argument. At SpinWeb, we are very transparent about the fact that we are a Verio parter. SpinWeb websites are hosted in Tier 1 Verio data centers on high-quality hardware, extremely fast connections, and well-tuned servers. Verio is a owned by NTT Communications, which is a billion-dollar company with one of the largest and most reliable networks in the world. We rest easy at night because we partner with a business-class hosting provider which ensures that our websites load quickly and are backed by enterprise technology. We do not skimp on website hosting.

Another factor that affects load time is website structure. At SpinWeb, we take great care to utilize intelligent CSS techniques that accomplish more with less code. We also optimize images and Flash to ensure the smallest file size possible. If something can be rendered the same way with fewer lines of code and less overhead, we will do it. This leads to websites that load faster.

A fast-loading website is good for your visitors but now it is becoming good for search engine rankings. Make sure you are doing all you can to maximize your chances of being seen.

Filed Under: Design, Marketing, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , ,
October 30, 2008 By 1 Comment

5 Marketing and Technology Tips for Thriving in an Uncertain Economy

Unless you have not seen a single piece of news in the past few months, you are probably aware that these are uncertain economic times. Though we all hope for a fast recovery and stronger economic times soon, it also pays to be pro-active and look for ways to become more efficient and re-evaluate how we are investing money into our businesses. Here are some ways to reduce costs while actually improving sales, service, and flexibility in your business.

Replace Your Office Software with Google Apps. Most businesses use Microsoft Office on PCs to allow employees to create documents and spreadsheets. However, did you know that Google also offers an office suite that happens to be free? Additionally, utilizing Google’s office suite (which includes Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations) allows your entire office to collaborate on documents and track changes in real time. This can reduce your expense for purchasing and upgrading office software to $0.

Replace Expensive Office Phone Systems with Cell Phones. Most businesses have a traditional phone system that consists of big, clunky phones that sit on desks. At the same time, many companies also provide cell phones for key employees. Why pay for both? Ditch the desk phones and go to a sleek, efficient, mobile-only system. Inbound calls can be handled by an auto-attendant such as Onebox, or by a live reception service like The Intelligent Office (be sure to ask for Matt!). These services will route inbound calls directly to the appropriate mobile phone and present a seamless experience to the caller. Not only can this reduce your costs, but it also facilitates better customer service since employees are no longer tied to a desk.

Re-invest your Yellow Pages Budget Into Online Search Marketing. Many businesses are beginning to understand that the Yellow Pages is a dying advertising medium and is producing fewer and fewers qualified leads as time goes on. At the same time, the online search market is booming (ever heard of Google?). Reduce your Yellow Pages budget down to $0 and re-invest that money into Search Marketing and I can almost guarantee that you will get a dramatically better return on investment. Search marketing reaches more people and allows you to generate targeted leads, unlike the Yellow Pages which has a higher percentage of people who are just price-shopping. Before you start your search marketing campaigns, be sure that your web site is current and professionally-designed.

Network, Network, Network!. As customers become more and more cautious, trust becomes even more important. Referral marketing and networking is a great way to build a network of trust that can lead to strong business relationships. Consider investing in memberships like BNI, Rainmakers, and other groups that are designed to facilitate referrals. While these groups include an initial investment in the form of membership fees, the rewards typically far outweigh the cost when done with full commitment and participation.

Reduce Travel and Communication Costs Through Videoconferencing and Web Meetings. With gas prices and travel expenses still high, it pays to consider holding meetings via Skype or other videoconferencing services. Skype is free and allows two people to talk and see each other from their computers over the Internet. Need to meet with a group and share visual aids? Hold meetings via GoToMeeting or DimDim (which is free). Both services even include a VoIP option which means no phone cost.

There are many ways to save money and keep sales strong in an uncertain economy. Interested in learning more about any of these ideas? Have some ideas of your own? Please comment.

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August 7, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Using Google Apps for Efficient Business Communication

At SpinWeb, we are always looking for ways to streamline our business practices, create more efficient systems, and implement smart customer service methods. We have noticed over the years that email and communications has always been a pain point for many organizations and so we would like to share a way that we’ve found to enjoy a more zen-like state of email and group communications. We use Google Apps.

Google Apps (short for “Google Applications”) is a suite of applications from Google that includes email, calendaring, instant messaging, and shared documents. Google Apps allows organizations to implement a full groupware suite at no cost at all. There is no setup fee, no hardware to buy, and no ongoing fee. Though there is a corporate level which includes a nominal yearly fee, the basic services are all free. So what does Google Apps include?

Email. If you’ve ever used Gmail, you know how powerful and easy to use it is. By using Google Apps for your business, you get Gmail but branded with your organization’s domain name. All of your employees or team members can have “yourname@yourcompany.com” email addresses and can access it via a Gmail web interface. You also have the option of using Outlook, Apple Mail, iPhones, Blackberries, or pretty much any other email program or device.

Spam/Virus Filtering. Email through Google Apps comes with outstanding spam and virus filtering. It is all handled seamlessly with no setup or configuration. We have found the accuracy of Google’s filtering to be excellent.

Group Calendaring. Google Apps includes a robust group calendering feature which give you the ability to manage multiple calendars as well as see other team members’ calendars for group scheduling. Calendars can be synced with Outlook, iCal, iPhone, Blackberries, or almost any other major calendaring program. Syncing can also be done “through the air”. For example, if you add an event on your iPhone, it will instantly show up on your Google calendar and vice-versa.

Group Instant Messaging. Google Apps also comes with built-in IM via Google Talk. Your organization can utilize the built-in chat server to see when other team members are online and can keep in touch via instant messenger.

Group Document Management. One great feature of Google Apps is its free office suite. Using Google Docs, Google Spreadsheet, and Google Presentation, your organization can have a free set of office applications that are hosted “in the cloud”. Additionally, your team can collaborate by editing a single document as a team and track changes online.

At SpinWeb, we manage Google Apps accounts for our clients as a courtesy. We have found that utilizing Google Apps has given us a powerful business communication system that rivals many of the “enterprise” systems in use today. Interested in implementing Google Apps in your organization? Contact SpinWeb to learn how.

Filed Under: Productivity, Technology Tagged With: , ,
August 3, 2008 By 5 Comments

Using Google Apps for Wireless Syncing With Your iPhone

For those of you who have tried using MobileMe in a workplace setting, you may be as frustrated as I have been with the lack of groupware features. MobileMe does offer wireless syncing but does not give us very robust shared calendaring features. We could use Exchange, but since we are an all-Mac shop at SpinWeb, using an Exchange server for our email, calendaring, and contacts seems, well, dirty. Since we are using Google Apps for our email, it would be nice to utilize the rest of Google’s applications for groupware but it seemed that it was not possible.

This weekend, however, I discovered some new information that changed everything. The first major event was Google’s new feature of allowing two-way syncing of iCal to Google Calendars with CalDAV. Awesome! Now I can sync up iCal with my Google Calendar. Next, I discovered a great service called NuevaSync, which allows you to sync your iPhone calendar with your Google calendar. It also lets you sync your iPhone contacts with your Google contacts. And since the Apple Address Book already lets you sync your contacts with Google, we now have a total solution for mail (IMAP), contacts, and calendaring – all using Google Apps as the “cloud”.

This is great news, since MobileMe is somewhat broken and costs $99/year anyway. By using Google Apps, we now have a free solution that offers better functionality. I tested it out and it works great. I placed events on my iCal and they immediately showed up on my iPhone. Same with contacts. Who needs Exchange! ;-)

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